45-RQ274655 - NCDOR - Sales and Use Coupon Books.pdf

OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE

The State seeks offers for the goods and/or related services described in this solicitation. The State’s acceptance of any offer must be demonstrated by execution of the acceptance found below and any subsequent Request for Best and Final Offer, if issued. Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows:

In cases of conflict between documents comprising the contract, the order of precedence shall be (1) Best and Final Offers, if any, (2) special terms and conditions specific to this IFB, (3) specifications, (4) Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions of this IFB, and (5) the agreed portions of the awarded Vendor’s offer. No contract shall be binding on the State until an encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the contract.

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Invitation for Bid (“IFB”), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified herein. By executing this offer, I certify that this offer is submitted competitively and without collusion.

Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.

OFFEROR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY, STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL.

NO

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:

Offer valid for sixty (60), days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

If any or all parts of this IFB are accepted, an authorized representative of Department of Revenue shall affix their signature hereto. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful vendor(s).

FOR STATE USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded this ______ day of _____________________, 20____, as indicated on attached certification, by _____________________________________________ (Authorized representative of Department of Revenue).

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA INVITATION FOR BIDS 45-RQ274655

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Tax Administration Division

Offers will be publicly opened: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 @2:00PM

Issue Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Refer ALL inquiries regarding this IFB to:

Cynthia Leonard

Cynthia.Leonard@ncodor.gov

919-814-1389

Commodity Number: 821215 - Printing

Description: NC Sales and Use Coupon Books

Using Agency: Department of Revenue

Requisition No.: RQ274655

IFB Number: 45-RQ274655

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. VENDOR QUESTIONS

2.3. ADDENDA

2.4. OFFER SUBMITTAL

2.5. BASIS FOR REJECTION

2.6. LATE OFFERS

2.7. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

2.8. NOTICE TO VENDORS

2.9. E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION

2.10. POSSESSION AND REVIEW

2.12. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

2.13. AWARD

2.14. POINTS OF CONTACT

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)

3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S. – DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

3.3. E-VERIFY

3.4. SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.5. ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS

3.6. ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

3.7. PRODUCT RECALL – Reserved

3.8. CONTRACT TERM

3.9. DELIVERY

3.10. INVOICES

3.11. REFERENCES

3.12. SPECIFICATIONS

4.0 . FURNISH AND DELIVER

5.0 . ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5.1. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES

5.2. RECYCLED CONTENT

5.3. ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS — Reserved

6.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

7.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Attachment A: Statement of Work for Print Services

1.0 SCOPE OF WORK

2.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

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3.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

4.0 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

5.0 IT SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

6.0 NCDOR RESPONSIBILITIES

7.0 CHANGE CONTROL PROCEDURE

8.0 POINTS OF CONTACT

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1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE

The purpose of this Invitation for Bid is to obtain pricing for and procure North Carolina Sales and Use Coupon Books for the North Carolina Department of Revenue (“NCDOR”). Coupon booklets provide preprinted forms for sales and use tax registrants to facilitate the filing and paying of sales and use tax in a timely and efficient manner. Each booklet provides sales and use tax preprinted forms for an entire year which serves as a reminder to each registrant to file and pay their sales and use tax liability.

Quantities are estimates and the Goods and Services will be provided in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. VENDOR QUESTIONS

All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements are to be addressed to the contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation. Vendor contact regarding this Solicitation with anyone other than the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

Written questions concerning this Solicitation will be received until ____Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at ___5:00PM Eastern Time. They must be submitted to the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation. Please enter “Questions Solicitation 45-RQ274655” as the subject for the message.

Questions should be submitted in the following format:

REFERENCE VENDOR QUESTION

RFP Section, Page Number

2.3. ADDENDA

The State may issue addenda if Vendor questions are permitted as described above, or if additional terms, specifications, or other changes are necessary for this procurement. It is important that all Vendors bidding on this IFB periodically check the NC eVP for any and all Addenda that may be issued prior to the offer opening date. All addenda shall become an Addendum to this IFB.

2.4. OFFER SUBMITTAL

Due Date: October 21, 2026 Time: 2:00PM Eastern Time

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/255909958466485?p=2hsP9cKez2rPSdqPMr Meeting ID: 255 909 958 466 485 Passcode: 5Qo3Z54X

Need help? | System reference Dial in by phone +1 919-670-0492,,92901755# United States, Raleigh Find a local number Phone conference ID: 929 017 55#

IMPORTANT NOTE: Vendor shall bear the risk for late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay—whether submitted electronically, delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service, https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/255909958466485?p=2hsP9cKez2rPSdqPMr https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MmUzNjY0YTYtYjY5OC00MmVlLWJhYTctMjY3OTQxNGVmYmIz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22ff9858a0-c3f0-416f-a611-1033ea3b7bfd%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2252a99528-fddc-4886-99f5-bcd29242aa43%22%7d tel:+19196700492,,92901755 https://dialin.teams.cloud.microsoft/1b4ae28c-a8b3-4c28-aeef-c10080908cd3?id=92901755

Page 5 of 38 Version October 9, 2025 courier or other delivery service. Vendor must include all the pages of this solicitation in their response. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its offer has been delivered to this Office by the specified time and date of opening. Any proposal delivered after the proposal deadline will be rejected.

Offer Submission Details:

Sealed offers, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received via the Ariba Sourcing Tool until 2:00pm Eastern Time on the day of opening and then opened, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein. Offers must be submitted with the Execution page signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor’s firm. Failure to return a signed offer shall result in disqualification.

Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone, or email in response to this IFB shall NOT be accepted.

a) All File names should start with the vendor’s name first, in order to easily determine all the files to be included as part of the vendor’s response. For example, files should be named as follows:

Vendor Name-your file name.

b) File contents SHALL NOT be password protected, the file formats must be in .PDF, .jpeg, or png format, and shall be capable of being copied to other sources.

c) If the vendor’s proposal contains any confidential information (as defined in Section 7.0, Paragraph #18), then the vendor must provide one (1) signed, original electronic offer and one (1) redacted electronic copy.

2.5. BASIS FOR REJECTION

Pursuant to 9 NCAC 06B.0401, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part; by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered;

non-compliance with the specifications or intent of this solicitation; lack of competitiveness; error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State; cancellation or other changes in the intended project, or other determination that the proposed requirement is no longer needed; limitation or lack of available funds; circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer; or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State. Vendor contact regarding this IFB with anyone other than NCDOR Procurement staff may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

2.6. LATE OFFERS

Regardless of cause, late offers will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the Vendor’s sole risk to ensure delivery at the designated office by the designated time. Late offers will not be opened and may be returned to the Vendor at the expense of the Vendor or destroyed if requested.

2.7. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

Vendor offers will be deemed non-responsive by the State and will be rejected without further consideration or evaluation if statements such as the following are included:

• “This offer does not constitute a binding offer”,

• “This offer will be valid only if this offer is selected as a finalist or in the competitive range”,

• “Vendor does not commit or bind itself to any terms and conditions by this submission”,

• “This document and all associated documents are non-binding and shall be used for discussion purposes only”, Page 6 of 38 Version October 9, 2025

• “This offer will not be binding on either party until incorporated in a definitive agreement signed by authorized representatives of both parties”, or

• A statement of similar intent.

2.8. NOTICE TO VENDORS

The State objects to and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional terms and conditions not previously agreed to by the State and submitted with an Offeror’s response.

This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Offeror’s response. By execution and delivery of this Invitation for Bids and response(s), the Offeror agrees that any additional terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect.

2.9. E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION

This is an E-Procurement solicitation. See Paragraph #47 of the attached Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions.

The Terms and Conditions made part of this solicitation contain language necessary for the implementation of North Carolina’s statewide E-Procurement initiative. It is the Vendor’s responsibility to read these terms and conditions carefully and to consider them in preparing the offer.

By signature vendor acknowledges acceptance of all terms and conditions including those related to E-Procurement.

a) General information on the E-Procurement service can be found at http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

b) Within two days after notification of award of a contract, vendor must register in NC E- Procurement @ Your Service at the following web site: https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

c) As of the IFB submittal date, the Vendor must be current on all e-Procurement fees. If the Vendor is not current on all E-Procurement fees, the State may disqualify the Vendor from participation in this IFB.

2.10. POSSESSION AND REVIEW

During the evaluation period and prior to award, possession of the bids and accompanying information is limited to personnel of the issuing agency, and to the committee responsible for participating in the evaluation. Vendors who attempt to gain this privileged information, or to influence the evaluation process (i.e. assist in evaluation) will be in violation of purchasing rules and their offer will not be further evaluated or considered.

After award of contract the complete bid file will be available to any interested persons with the exception of trade secrets, test information or similar proprietary information as provided by statute and rule. Any proprietary or confidential information, which conforms to exclusions from public records as provided by N.C.G.S. §132-1.2 must be clearly marked as such in the offer when submitted.

2.12. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

The State may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs from the Vendor(s) within this range; e.g. “Finalist Vendor(s)”. If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, the Vendor(s) shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The State will evaluate BAFO(s), oral presentations, and product demonstrations as part of the Vendors’ respective offers to determine the final rankings.

http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

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2.13. AWARD

It is the general intent to award this contract to one Vendor. As provided by statute, award will be based on Best Value Analysis, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Source Selection Method in accordance with N.C.G.S. §143B-1350(h), which provides that the offer must be in substantial conformity with the specifications herein, and 09 NCAC 06B.0302.

A link to the NC Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows the public to retrieve contract award information electronically from the web site: https://evp.nc.gov/ Results may be found by searching by IFB number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks dependent upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation process.

2.14. POINTS OF CONTACT

Contact by the Offeror with the persons shown below for contractual and technical matters related to this IFB is only permitted if expressly agreed to by the purchasing lead named on page 1, or upon award of contract:

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)

The terms and conditions of Vendor’s standard services, license, maintenance or other agreement(s) applicable to Services, Goods, Software and other Products acquired under this Agreement may apply to the extent such terms and conditions do not materially change the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Vendor’s standard agreement(s), the terms and conditions of this Agreement relating to audit and records, jurisdiction, choice of law, the State’s electronic procurement application of law or administrative rules, the remedy for intellectual property infringement and the exclusive remedies and limitation of liability in the DIT Terms and Conditions herein shall apply in all cases and supersede any provisions contained in Vendor’s relevant standard agreement or any other agreement. The State shall not be obligated under any standard license and/or maintenance or other Vendor agreement(s) to indemnify or hold harmless the Vendor, its licensors, successors or assigns; nor arbitrate any dispute, nor pay late fees, legal fees or other similar costs.

Vendor Contractual Point of Contact Vendor Customer Service Point of Contact (if different than Contractual Point of Contact)

Name:

Street:

City, State, Zip:

Assigned Contract Manager:

Email:

Phone (office):

Phone (cell):

Name:

Street:

City, State, Zip:

Assigned Contract Manager:

Email:

Phone (office):

Phone (cell):

https://evp.nc.gov/

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3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S. – DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

In accordance with the Statewide Information Security Manual (SISM), the State restricts the location of information systems that receive, process, store, or transmit State and Federal data to the United States which includes the following areas: US States, US Territories, US Embassies, and US Military installations (stateside or overseas). This restriction applies to the Vendor and to any subcontractors engaged to provide Services under this Agreement or with access to State Data.

The Vendor must ensure that its subcontractor agreements contain the same restrictions and will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing subcontractor compliance at all times.

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §143B-1361(b), the Vendor must complete and return this Disclosure Statement Attachment F with its solicitation response. The Vendor may attach additional pages to its response if needed. The State of North Carolina will evaluate Disclosure Statement Attachments for additional risks, costs, and other factors associated with its service prior to making an award for any such Vendor’s offer. The Vendor must provide the following information in its bid response:

Vendor to complete:

a. The location of work performed under a state contract by the Vendor, any subcontractors, employees, or other persons performing the contract and whether any of this work will be performed outside the United States.

b. The corporate structure and location of corporate employees and activities of the Vendor, its affiliates or any other subcontractors.

c. Vendor agrees to provide notice of the relocation of the Vendor, employees of the Vendor, subcontractors of the Vendor, or other persons performing Services under a state contract outside of the United States in the event such relocation occurs during the contract term.

Click here to enter text.

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d. Vendor agrees that any Vendor or subcontractor providing call or contact center Services to the State of North Carolina shall disclose to inbound callers the location from which the call or contact center Services are being provided.

e. Will any work under this contract be performed outside the United States?

YES NO

The use of resources or workers located outside the United States is a critical security exception that must be escalated to the State Chief Information Officer for review pursuant to N.C.G.S. §143B- 1376(c) and §143B-1320(c). These critical security exceptions are approved only in rare and extenuating circumstances. Vendor should account for this when preparing its response.

3.3. E-VERIFY

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143B-1350(k), the State shall not enter into a contract unless the awarded Vendor and each of its subcontractors comply with the E-Verify requirements of N.C.G.S. Chapter 64, Article 2. Vendors are directed to review the foregoing laws. Any awarded Vendor must submit a certification of compliance with E-Verify to the awarding agency, and on a periodic basis thereafter as may be required by the State.

3.4. SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.4.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE (RESERVED)

3.4.2 SOLUTIONS NOT HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE – (RESERVED)

3.5. ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS

3.5.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS – Reserved

3.5.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP – Reserved

3.5.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT - Reserved

3.5.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH – Reserved

3.5.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY – Reserved

3.5.6 DATA MIGRATION – Reserved

3.5.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT – Reserved

3.5.8 ACCESSIBILITY – Reserved

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3.6. ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

Agencies and vendors should refer to the Vendor Resources Page for information on North Carolina Department of Information Technology regarding architecture, security, strategy, data, digital, identity and access management and other general information on doing business with state IT process.

The Vendor Resources Page found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources. This site provides vendors with statewide information and links referenced throughout the Solicitation document. Agencies may request additional information.

3.7. PRODUCT RECALL – Reserved

3.8. CONTRACT TERM

A contract awarded pursuant to this IFB shall have an effective date as provided in the Notice of Award. The term shall be three (3) years, invoiced annually, and will expire upon the anniversary date of the effective date unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Award, or unless terminated earlier. The State retains the option to extend this contract for two (2) additional one (1) year periods at its sole discretion.

3.9. DELIVERY

Successful Vendor will start the scope of work within thirty (30) consecutive calendar dates after receipt of purchase order to the following locations: 501 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27604

Delivery of coupon books will be according to the schedule outlined in Paragraph 1.3 of the Statement of Work, attached as Attachment A.

If circumstances beyond the control of the contractor result in a late delivery, it is the responsibility and obligation of the contractor to notify the Purchasing Agent listed on the purchase order, in writing, immediately upon determining delay of shipment. The written notification should indicate the anticipated delivery dated.

3.10. INVOICES

Invoices shall be submitted via email to dorbilling@ncdor.gov and include detailed line item information to allow Buyer to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order. At a minimum, the following fields shall be included on all invoices:

Vendor’s Billing Address, Customer Account Number, NC Contract Number, Order Date, Buyer’s Order Number, Vendor Part Numbers, Item Descriptions, Price, Quantity, and Unit of Measure.

3.11. REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references for which it has provided goods and services of substantially the same features and quantity as those solicited herein. The State may contact one or more of these references to determine whether the goods provided are substantially similar to those bid herein and Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. Information obtained may be considered in evaluation of the bids.

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME EMAIL ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER

https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources mailto:dorbilling@ncdor.gov

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3.12. SPECIFICATIONS

Vendor shall provide the printing services outlined in Attachment A: Statement of Work.

4.0 . FURNISH AND DELIVER

Vendor shall provide the Unit and Extended Costs on the tables below.

NC TAX COUPON BOOK PRICING – INITIAL 3-YEAR TERM (invoiced annually)

Bid price shall constitute the total cost to the State for coupon book delivery and ready for use, including all applicable charges for shipping, delivery, handling, administrative and other similar fees.

ITEM

ANNUAL

ESTMATED

QTY.*

UOM DESCRIPTION UNIT

COST

EXTENDED

COST YR1

EXTENDED

COST YR2

EXTENDED

COST YR3

1 152,950

Each

NC Tax Coupon Books (as per requirements and coupon book specifications provided in Attachment A:

Statement of Work)

2 12,000

NC Tax Coupon Books for Monthly Updates (as per requirements and coupon book specifications provided in Attachment A:

Total Annual Extended Cost of Items 1-2 above.

TOTAL OFFER COST FOR INITIAL TERM:

*Quantities listed in the IFB are estimates based on the State’s historical use and anticipated needs and are not guaranteed. Quantity increases or decreases may occur prior to print time. NCDOR shall not be obligated to purchase the amount represented by the estimated quantities contained herein. Vendor shall only invoice NCDOR for the quantities ordered and accepted.

4.1. CONTRACT RENEWAL COSTS – Subject to renewal under 3.8 Contract Term

TABLE 1: NC TAX COUPON BOOK PRICING – RENEWAL 1 & 2 (Contract Years 4 & 5)

ITEM # ANNUAL

ESTMATED

QTY.*

UOM DESCRIPTION UNIT COST EXTENDED

COST YR 4

EXTENDED

COST YR 5

3 152,950

NC Tax Coupon Books (as per requirements and coupon book specifications provided in Attachment A: Statement of Work)

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4 12,000

NC Tax Coupon Books for Monthly Updates (as per requirements and coupon book specifications provided in Attachment A:

Total Annual Extended Cost of Items 3-4 above

TOTAL EXTENDED ANNUAL COST: $

TOTAL OFFER COSTS – YEARS 1-5** $________________

**If the State exercises all available renewal options under 3.8 Contract Term

4.2. ADDITIONAL PRINTING COSTS – May or may not be purchased by the State

As referenced in Attachment A Statement of Work, the NC General Assembly may make legislative changes that may require additional sales and use tax booklets during the Contract Term. If required additional prints are required, those prints will be produced in accordance with the tables below and may require a contract amendment.

TABLE 3: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TAX STATUTE AMENDMENTS – INITIAL CONTRACT TERM (invoiced annually)

ITEM

ANNUAL

ESTMATED

QTY.*

UOM DESCRIPTION UNIT COST EXTENDED

COST YR1

EXTENDED

COST YR2

EXTENDED

COST YR3

5 164,450 Each One (1) Page Sheet (8½” x 4”) Printed on Front and Back, and inserted in 164,450 NC Tax Coupon Books

6 164,450 Each One (1) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 164,450NC Tax Coupon Books

7 164,450 Each Two (2) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 164,450 NC Tax Coupon Books (May substitute 11” x 17” for two, 8½” x 11” sheets)

8 164,450 Each Three (3) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 164,450 NC Tax Coupon Books

TOTAL EXTENDED COST (ITEMS 5-8) $

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TABLE 4: E505 – ELECTRONIC FILERS – INITIAL CONTRACT TERM (invoiced annually)

ESTMATED

QTY.*

UOM DESCRIPTION UNIT

COST

COST YR1

COST YR2

COST YR3

9 155,500 Thousand One (1) Page Sheet

Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 155,500 Envelopes

10 155,500 Thousand Two (2) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 155,500 Envelopes (May substitute 11” x 17” for two, 8½” x 11” sheets)

11 155,500 Thousand Three (3) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 155,500 Envelopes

TOTAL EXTENDED COST (ITEMS 9-11) $

TABLE 5: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TAX STATUTE AMENDMENTS – CONTRACT YEARS

4 AND 5 (invoiced annually and subject to renewal under 3.8 Contract Term)

QTY.*

UOM DESCRIPTION UNIT

COST

EXTENDED

COST YR4

EXTENDED

COST YR5

5 164,450 Thousand One (1) Page Sheet (8½” x 4”) Printed on Front and Back, and inserted in 164,450 NC Tax Coupon Books

6 164,450 Thousand One (1) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 164,450NC Tax Coupon Books

7 164,450 Thousand Two (2) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 164,450 NC Tax Coupon Books (May substitute 11” x 17” for two, 8½” x 11” sheets)

8 164,450 Thousand Three (3) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, Page 14 of 38 Version October 9, 2025 and inserted in 164,450 NC Tax Coupon Books

TOTAL EXTENDED COST (ITEMS 5-8) $

TABLE 6: E505 – ELECTRONIC FILERS – CONTRACT YEARS 4 AND 5 (invoiced annually and subject to renewal under 3.8 Contract Term)

QTY.*

UOM DESCRIPTION UNIT

COST

EXTENDED

COST YR4

EXTENDED

COST YR5

9 155,500 Thousand One (1) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 155,500 Envelopes

10 155,500 Thousand Two (2) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 155,500 Envelopes (May substitute 11” x 17” for two, 8½” x 11” sheets)

11 155,500 Thousand Three (3) Page Sheet Printed on Front and Back, Folded, and inserted in 155,500 Envelopes

TOTAL EXTENDED COST (ITEMS 9-11) $

5.0 . ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5.1. RECYCLED CONTENT

In an effort to support the sustainability efforts of the State of North Carolina Executive Order Number 156, we solicit your cooperation.

Does the packaging of the items offered in response to this IFB contain recycled content?

YES NO

If Vendor answered “YES” above, indicate the following:

Percentage of recycled content: _________ Can the packaging be recycled? YES NO

Do items offered in response to this solicitation contain recycled content? YES NO

If Vendor answered “YES” above, indicate the material and content percentage of applicable items.

Material: ___________________________ Percentage of recycled content: ________

State how items may be disposed of or recycled at the end of use?

https://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/UserFiles/File/north%20carolina%20ex%20or%20156.pdf https://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/UserFiles/File/north%20carolina%20ex%20or%20156.pdf

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5.2. ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS — Reserved.

6.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

1) READ, REVIEW AND COMPLY: It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and comply with all requirements specified herein.

2) DEFINITIONS:

• NCDIT: The North Carolina Department of Information Technology, formerly Office of Information Technology Services

• NCDIT CONVENIENCE CONTRACT: A contract that is used for the procurement of IT goods or Services. These contracts are in place for the convenience of the state and use of them is optional.

• OPEN MARKET CONTRACT: A contract for the purchase of goods or Services not covered by a term, technical, or convenience contract.

• TERM CONTRACT: A contract in which a source of supply is established for a specified period for specified Services or supplies; usually characterized by an estimated or definite minimum quantity, with the possibility of additional requirements beyond the minimum, all at a predetermined unit price

• THE STATE: The state of North Carolina and its agencies.

• VENDOR: Company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual, etc., submitting a response to a solicitation.

3) PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNTS: Vendors are urged to compute all discounts into the price offered. If a prompt payment discount is offered, it will not be considered in the award of the contract except as a factor to aid in resolving cases of identical prices.

4) INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Vendor is to furnish all information requested and in the spaces provided in this document. Further, if required elsewhere in this IFB, each Vendor must submit with their offer sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products offered. Only information that is received in response to this IFB will be evaluated.

Reference to information previously submitted or Internet Website Addresses (URLs) will not satisfy this provision. Offers which do not comply with these requirements will be subject to rejection.

5) RECYCLING AND SOURCE REDUCTION: It is the policy of this State to encourage and promote the purchase of products with recycled content to the extent economically practicable, and to purchase items which are reusable, refillable, repairable, more durable, and less toxic to the extent that the purchase or use is practicable and cost-effective. We also encourage and promote using minimal packaging and the use of recycled/recyclable products in the packaging of commodities purchased. However, no sacrifice in quality of packaging will be acceptable. The company remains responsible for providing packaging that will protect the commodity and contain it for its intended use.

Companies are strongly urged to bring to the attention of the relevant purchasers in the State those products or packaging they offer which have recycled content and that are recyclable.

6) CLARIFICATIONS/INTERPRETATIONS: Any and all questions regarding this document must be addressed to the purchaser named on the cover sheet of this document. Do not contact the user directly. Any and all revisions to this document shall be made only by written addendum from NCDOR. The Vendor is cautioned that the requirements of this IFB can be altered only by written addendum and that verbal communications from whatever source are of no effect.

7) ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION: The State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, to waive any informality in offers and, unless otherwise specified by the Vendor, to accept any item in the offer.

If either a unit price or an extended price is obviously in error and the other is obviously correct, the incorrect price will be disregarded.

8) AWARD OF CONTRACT: Responsive offers will be evaluated and acceptance may be made in accordance with Best Value procurement practices as defined by N.C.G.S. §143-135.9, and in accordance with N.C.G.S. §143B-1350(h), which provides that the offer must be in substantial conformity with the specifications herein, and 09 NCAC 06B.0302. Unless otherwise specified by the

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State or the Vendor, the State reserves the right to accept any item or group of items on a multi-item offer. In addition, on agency specific or term contracts, NCDOR reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards: where it is advantageous to award separately by items; or where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated requirements as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; other factors deemed by NCDOR to be pertinent or peculiar to the purchase in question.

9) SAMPLES: Sample of items, when required, must be furnished as stipulated herein, free of expense, and if not destroyed will, upon request, be returned at the Vendor’s expense. Written request for the return of samples must be made within 10 days following date of request for sample. Otherwise, the samples will become the property of the State. Each individual sample must be labeled with the Vendor’s name, offer number, and item number. A sample on which an award is made will be retained until the contract is completed, and then returned, if requested, as specified above.

10) MISCELLANEOUS: Masculine pronouns shall be read to include feminine pronouns and the singular of any word or phrase shall be read to include the plural and vice versa.

11) PROTEST PROCEDURES: When an offeror wants to protest a contract awarded pursuant to this solicitation that is over $25,000, they must submit a written request to the issuing agency at the address given in this document. This request must be received in this office within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the contract award and must contain specific sound reasons and any supporting documentation for the protest. Note: Contract award notices are sent only to those actually awarded contracts, and not to every person or firm responding to this solicitation. IFB status and Award notices are posted on at https://evp.nc.gov/. All protests will be governed by NCAC Title 9, Department of Information Technology (formerly Office of Information Technology Services), Subchapter 06B Sections .1101 - .1121

12) VENDOR REGISTRATION AND SOLICITATION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM: Vendor Link NC allows Vendors to electronically register with the State to receive electronic notification of current procurement opportunities for goods and services available on the NC Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) at the following web site: https://evp.nc.gov/

13) DIGITAL IMAGING: Reserved.

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7.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Section 1: Terms and Conditions applicable to IT Goods and Services

1) DEFINITIONS: As used herein;

a) Deliverable/Product Warranties shall mean and include the warranties provided for products or deliverables licensed to the State in Paragraphs 7 and 8, and included in Paragraph 29 c) of these Terms and Conditions unless superseded by a Vendor’s Warranties pursuant to Vendor’s License or Support Agreements.

b) Purchasing State Agency or Agency shall mean the Agency purchasing the goods or Services.

c) Services shall mean the duties and obligations accepted by the Vendor to carry out the requirements, and meet the specifications, of this procurement.

d) State shall mean the State of North Carolina, the Department of Information Technology as an

Agency or in its capacity as the Award Authority.

2) STANDARDS: Manufactured items and/or fabricated assemblies comprising Deliverables shall meet all requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and State and federal requirements relating to clean air and water pollution, if applicable. Vendor will provide and maintain a quality assurance system or program that includes any Deliverables and will tender to the State only those Deliverables that have been inspected and found to conform to the requirements of this Contract. All manufactured items and/or fabricated assemblies comprising Deliverables are subject to operation, certification or inspection, and accessibility requirements as required:

▪ by State or federal Regulation,

▪ by the Chief Information Officer’s (CIO) policy or regulation, or

▪ acceptance with appropriate standards of operations or uses of said Deliverables as may be shown by identification markings or other means of the appropriate certifying standards organization.

a) Site Preparation: Reserved.

b) Goods Return: Deliverables and any other goods or materials furnished by the Vendor to fulfill technical requirements shall be in good working order and be maintained in good working order by Vendor for the duration of the Contract; unless otherwise provided in a separate maintenance agreement or in the Solicitation Documents. Deliverables failing to meet the State’s technical requirements shall be considered non-conforming goods and subject to return to the Vendor for replacement at the State’s option, and at the Vendor’s expense. The State is responsible for the return costs related to the termination of a Contract, including deinstallation, and freight to destinations within the Continental United States; except in the case of default by the Vendor or delivery of non-conforming goods by Vendor. Shipping or freight charges, if any, paid by the State for non-conforming goods will be reimbursed to the State.

c) Specifications: The apparent silence of the specifications as to any detail, or the apparent omission of detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and only material and workmanship of the first quality may be used. Upon any notice of noncompliance provided by the State, Vendor shall supply proof of compliance with the specifications. Vendor must provide written notice of its intent to deliver alternate or substitute products, goods or Deliverables. Alternate or substitute products, goods or Deliverables may be accepted or rejected in the sole discretion of the State; and any such alternates or substitutes must be accompanied by Vendor’s certification and evidence satisfactory to the State that the function, characteristics, performance and endurance will be equal or superior to the original Deliverables specified.

3) WARRANTIES: Reserved.

4) PERSONNEL: Reserved.

5) SUBCONTRACTING: The Vendor may subcontract the performance of required Services with other

Vendors or third parties, or change subcontractors, only with the prior written consent of the contracting authority. Vendor shall provide the State with complete copies of any agreements made by and between Vendor and all subcontractors. The selected Vendor remains solely responsible for

Page 18 of 38 Version October 9, 2025 the performance of its subcontractors. Subcontractors, if any, shall adhere to the same standards required of the selected Vendor. Any contracts made by the Vendor with a subcontractor shall include an affirmative statement that the State is an intended third-party beneficiary of the contract; that the subcontractor has no agreement with the State; and that the State shall be indemnified by the Vendor for any claim presented by the subcontractor. Notwithstanding any other term herein, Vendor shall timely exercise its contractual remedies against any non-performing subcontractor and, when appropriate, substitute another subcontractor.

6) VENDOR’S REPRESENTATION: Reserved.

a) Warranty as to Equipment; Hardware. Reserved.

7) SOFTWARE LICENSE (for internal embedded software, firmware and unless otherwise provided in the State’s solicitation document, or in an attachment hereto): Reserved.

8) MAINTENANCE/SUPPORT SERVICES: Reserved.

9) TRAVEL EXPENSES: All travel expenses should be included in the Vendor’s proposed costs.

Separately stated travel expenses will not be reimbursed. In the event that the Vendor may be eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses arising under the performance of this Contract, reimbursement will be at the out-of-state rates set forth in N.C.G.S. §138-6; as amended from time to time. Vendor agrees to use the lowest available airfare not requiring a weekend stay and to use the lowest available rate for rental vehicles. All Vendor incurred travel expenses shall be billed on a monthly basis, shall be supported by receipt and shall be paid by the State within thirty (30) days after invoice approval. Travel expenses exceeding the foregoing rates shall not be paid by the State. The State will reimburse travel allowances only for days on which the Vendor is required to be in North Carolina performing Services under this Contract.

10) GOVERNMENTAL RESTRICTIONS: In the event any restrictions are imposed by governmental requirements that necessitate alteration of the material, quality, workmanship, or performance of the Deliverables offered prior to delivery thereof, the Vendor shall provide written notification of the necessary alteration(s) to the Agency Contract Administrator. The State reserves the right to accept any such alterations, including any price adjustments occasioned thereby, or to cancel the Contract.

The State may advise Vendor of any restrictions or changes in specifications required by North Carolina legislation, rule, or regulatory authority that require compliance by the State. In such event, Vendor shall use its best efforts to comply with the required restrictions or changes. If compliance cannot be achieved by the date specified by the State, the State may terminate this Contract and compensate Vendor for sums due under the Contract.

11) PROHIBITION AGAINST CONTINGENT FEES AND GRATUITIES: Vendor warrants that it has not paid, and agrees not to pay, any bonus, commission, fee, or gratuity to any employee or official of the State for the purpose of obtaining any contract or award issued by the State. Vendor further warrants that no commission or other payment has been or will be received from or paid to any third party contingent on the award of any contract by the State, except as shall have been expressly communicated to the State Purchasing Agent in writing prior to acceptance of the Contract or award in question. Each individual signing below warrants that he or she is duly authorized by their respective Party to sign this Contract and bind the Party to the terms and conditions of this Contract.

Vendor and their authorized signatory further warrant that no officer or employee of the State has any direct or indirect financial or personal beneficial interest, in the subject matter of this Contract;

obligation or contract for future award of compensation as an inducement or consideration for making this Contract. Subsequent discovery by the State of non-compliance with these provisions shall constitute sufficient cause for immediate termination of all outstanding contracts. Violations of this provision may result in debarment of the Vendor(s) as permitted by 09 NCAC 06B.1206, or other provision of law.

12) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: Any and all payments to Vendor are expressly contingent upon and subject to the appropriation, allocation and availability of funds to the Agency for the purposes set forth in this Contract. If this Contract or any Purchase Order issued hereunder is funded in whole or in part by federal funds, the Agency’s performance and payment shall be subject to and contingent upon the continuing availability of said federal funds for the purposes of the Contract or Purchase

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Order. If the term of this Contract extends into fiscal years subsequent to that in which it is approved such continuation of the Contract is expressly contingent upon the appropriation, allocation, and availability of funds by the N.C. Legislature for the purposes set forth in the Contract. If funds to effect payment are not available, the Agency will provide written notification to Vendor. If the Contract is terminated under this paragraph, Vendor agrees to take back any affected Deliverables and software not yet delivered under this Contract, terminate any Services supplied to the Agency under this Contract, and relieve the Agency of any further obligation thereof. The State shall remit payment for Deliverables and Services accepted prior to the date of the aforesaid notice in conformance with the payment terms.

13) PAYMENT TERMS: Payment terms are Net 30 days after receipt of correct invoice or acceptance of the Deliverables, whichever is later; unless a period of more than 30 days is required by the Agency.

The Purchasing State Agency is responsible for all payments under the Contract. No additional charges to the Agency will be permitted based upon, or arising from, the Agency’s use of a Business Procurement Card. The State may exercise any and all rights of Set Off as permitted in Chapter 105A-1 et. seq. of the N.C. General Statutes and applicable Administrative Rules. Upon Vendor’s written request of not less than 30 days and approval by the State or Agency, the Agency may:

a) Forward the Vendor’s payment check(s) directly to any person or entity designated by the Vendor, or

b) Include any person or entity designated in writing by Vendor as a joint payee on the Vendor’s payment check(s), however

c) In no event shall such approval and action obligate the State to anyone other than the Vendor and the Vendor shall remain responsible for fulfillment of all Contract obligations.

14) ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA: In the event acceptance of Deliverables is not described in additional

Contract documents, the State shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten calendar days following the supply of any Deliverable described in the Contract if it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) a deliverable is unacceptable. Acceptance by the State shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for installation and/or testing of Deliverables. Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable inspection and testing procedures. Should the Deliverables fail to meet any specifications or acceptance criteria the State may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in North Carolina. Deliverables discovered to be defective or failing to conform to the specifications may be rejected upon initial inspection or at any later time if the defects contained in the Deliverables or non-compliance with the specifications was not reasonably ascertainable upon initial inspection. If the Vendor fails to promptly cure the defect or replace the Deliverables, the State reserves the right to cancel the Purchase Order, contract with a different Vendor, and to invoice the original Vendor for any differential in price over the original Contract price. When Deliverables are rejected, the Vendor must remove the rejected Deliverables from the premises of the State Agency within seven (7) calendar days of notification, unless otherwise agreed by the State Agency. Rejected items may be regarded as abandoned if not removed by Vendor as provided herein.

15) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Vendor shall comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and employment of the disabled, and concerning the treatment of all employees without regard to discrimination by reason of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or physical disability.

16) INSPECTION AT VENDOR’S SITE: The State reserves the right to inspect, during Vendor’s regular business hours at a reasonable time, upon notice of not less than two (2) weeks, and at its own expense, the prospective Deliverables comprising equipment or other tangible goods, or the plant or other physical facilities of a prospective Vendor prior to Contract award, and during the Contract term as necessary or proper to ensure conformance with the specifications/requirements and their adequacy and suitability for the proper and effective performance of the Contract.

17) ADVERTISING/PRESS RELEASE: The Vendor absolutely shall not publicly disseminate any information concerning the Contract without prior written approval from the State or its Agent. For

Page 20 of 38 Version October 9, 2025 the purpose of this provision of the Contract, the Agent is the Purchasing Agency Contract Administrator unless otherwise named in the solicitation documents.

18) CONFIDENTIALITY: In accordance with N.C.G.S. §§143B-1350(e), 143B-1375 and 09 NCAC 06B.0103 and 06B.1001 and to promote maximum competition in the State competitive bidding process, the State may maintain the confidentiality of certain types of information described in N.C.G.S. §132-1 et seq. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C.G.S. §66-152 and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C.G.S. §132-1.2. Vendor may designate appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the Statutes and Rules set forth above, by marking the top and bottom of pages containing confidential information with a legend in boldface type “CONFIDENTIAL”. By so marking any page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors that the portions marked confidential meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.